Pump priming control



Jan. 30, 1945. 4 LUNG 2,368,367

PUMP PRIMING CONTROL Filed Oct. 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l I Jan. 30, 1945. K. R. LUNG PUMP PRIMING CONTROL Filed Oct. 29, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Milli: 111

I :Rl.

Patented Jan. 30, 1945 PUMP mnumc CONTROL Kenneth R. Lung, Kendallville, Ind., assignor to Flint & Walling Manufacturing 00., Inc., Kendallville, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application October 29, 1942, Serial No. 463,794

6 Claims.

intake or supply. This condition may prevail when the delivery head or pressure may be set up over a relatively wide range for discharge.

- The control valve hereunder is adaptable to respam: in widely diverse capacity installations. In the instance of a motor driven rotary pump, the valve device is desirably located in the pump flow or delivery line or duct. oppositely efiective similar valve areas are provided in thereby caring for automatic compensation of pressure to take care of proper valve response at the attained working condition for the pump. The device in its operations, is designed to close as the pump starts. The closing is desirably for a brief interval. The valve normally is to remain open at other times.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a horizontal, direct connected, rotary pump installation, with the valve device hereof somewhat out-of-proportion as enlarged, parts being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a detail view in plan of the control device over the pump, the view being turned 90 counterclockwise from looking directly down on Fi 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in medial section through the valve device, on the line III-HI, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of a fragmentary section of the valve device housing'as to connections; being on the line IV-IV, Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view oi the pump and connections, looking from the left of Fig. 1.

A duct or riser pipe I is herein shown.v The pipe I has a suction connection 2. The connection 2 is axially or a rotary pump 3. The pump 3 is on a base 4. The base 4 is carried by a platform 5. An electric motor is directly connected to the pump 3. The motor is in a continuation of the pump housing extending oppositely irom the connection 2. A discharge line 6 from the pump 3 may extend for a distance down along 20 ft. or less. A line 6 from the pump 3 extends to a nozzle 6 of the ejector (Fig. 5).

In addition-to the ejector supply line 6 from the pump 3, there is a regular discharge line or pipe I for directing the delivery flow from the pump into a housing 8 of the valve device hereof. The pump discharge liquid, after passing from, the housing 3, flows by a line 9 to a T fitting l0. With a valve I! open, there may be a take-01f flow to more or less remote places, as a watering tank or tanks for stock, irrigation, and the like. Alternatively, with a valve 52 open, the flow may be to a storage tankl3. This storage tank I3 may be of water for household purposes. With the tank 13 designed to provide a delivery pressure, there may be a volume of compressed air in the tank above the water. Appropriate to the maintenance of this function, the intake or suction side of the pump 3 may have a connection It extend by way of a T-fitting l5 to a line H6. The pump 3 provides suction to operate a diaphragm pump 18 for air replenishment in the tank [3. A pressure gage I9 is an indicator of the pressure in the tank [3. This is a visible check for the pressure in the installation.

The housing 8 may have a bushing 20 to adapt to the pipe I. The housing 8 has therein a chamber 2| for the flow incoming by way of the pipe 1. This chamber 2| has aligned ports, in one of which is a cylindrical valve seat 22, and in the other a cylindrical sleeve guide 23. Flow from the chamber 2| by way of the valve seat 22 is to a chamber 24. A bushing 25 may be required inthe connection to the water flow-oil line 3. A valve stem 26 has thereon a piston 27 in the guide 23. On the stem 26, and in the chamber 24, is a poppet valve or disk 28. The disk 28 against the seat 22 is adapted to close off the chamber 24 from communication with the chamber 2|. The valve stem 26, remote from the piston 21, extends througha valve guide or opening 29 in a. bushing or gland 30. The .bushing 30 provides a partition in the housing 8 for separating a chamber 3| from the chamber 24.

In th chamber 3|, about the stem 26, is a-compression helical spring 32. The spring 32 acts on a disk 33 fixed terminally on the valve stem 26 remote from the piston 21.

The piston 21 and the poppet valve 28 are of such relative diameters as to approximate similar eflective pressure reaction areas in opposite directions from the chamber 2|. Accordingly, the action of the spring 32 is normally to hold the balanced valve device in open position, that is, with the disk 23 off its-seat 22. At this fully open position for the valve 20, a disk as outwardly flexes a diaphragm 34. A gasket 35 seats the diaphragm 34 with the housing 8. A closure or head 36 the outward flexing oi the diaphragm 34. In the disclosure herein, a port 37, with a terminal nozzle 38, maintains atmospheric pressure at all times for the side of the diaphragm 34 away from the chamber 3i.

Upon occasion there might be attention given toclean out or drain the chamber 24. Accordingly, at a port 39 (Fig. 4), a plug 4li may be re moved. From the chamber 3!, a bushing 4i may have a duct 42 extend to a diaphragm or air pump, as a supplemental feature; that is from the line I3 instead or from the T-fltting IS.

A bushing 43 mounts a duct 44 to connect the chamber iii to the fitting i5 and thereby exposes gardiess or the depth to the liquid or of the quantity of the liquid being pumped. This is a desirable achievement. The maximum efliciency of the pumping system is attained when, as herein disclosed, the ejector is doing as little work as possible, that is, forcing the liquid to be pumped, only to and not beyond the suction limit of the pump 8. Thereby a maximum of liquid is left available for delivery through the pipe 9.

The disclosure herein has its utilities primarily grouped about the balanced valve feature (Fig. 3). The installation may be with various types of water actuated pumps. The ejector type the chamber 3| to the intake suction of the pump 3. Priming may be accomplished by removing a plug 45 and pouring liquid, as water, therethrough. In connection with the normal operation, say to maintain a given head, the chamber 24 may have a duct 46 (Fig. 1) therefrom to a pressure operated switch device 41 adapted automatically to cut in and out the motor in the extension from the pump housing 3.

The valve device, when the pump is at rest, has the spring 32 hold the valve disk 23 01? the seat 22, The spring 32 is designed to deflect sufficiently, through the'action of atmosphericpressure on the diaphragm 34, which pressure is supplied by wayof the vent or nozzle 33. There is resulting travel of the stem 26 suflicient to allow the disk 23 to seat on the seat 22 when suction in the chamber 3| reaches any value exceeding ft. of liquid to be pumped. That is, the valve 28 is closed when the pump 3 is required to lift from a depth exceeding 20 ft.

When the pump 3 and the pipes l,' 6, are to be filled with the liquid, charged thereinto, the

' plug is removed. The plug 45 may then be replaced and the pump started. The starting of the pump 3 may be through the operation of the switch device 41, or otherwise, as by manual controls at the installation. The started pump 3 develops a lift or suction which may reach a momentary value of 28 it. Such is at once transmitted to the chamber 3!. This drop. in pressure on one side of the diaphragm 34 results in the atmospheric pressure, supplied through the nozzle 33, acting on the opposite side of the diaphragm 34. This pressure compresses the spring 32 and shifts the stem 28 to close the valve 23 at the seat 22. This seals 08 the discharge line 1. However, as the pump discharge line 3 is to an ejector or booster pump, which may be submerged in the liquid to be pumped, this device through the action of the pressure developed by the pump 3, immediately iorces liquid up the pipe I to within suction influence oi the pump 3. Such suction being in the range or 20'it. or less, 01 the liquid to be pumped, the suction in the chamber 3! is therefore reduced and the spring 32- will unseat the valve disk 23 to permit flow into the chamber 24. The diaphragm 34 does not resist this oper-, oration, inasmuch as-air is not entrapped in the chamber on the side of the diaphragm 34 toward the head 33, since the air may escape and continue its delivery flow. This mode of shown in applicant's Patent 2,319,509 May 18, 1943, or which this application is a continuationin-part, is a disclosure of one type of water actuated pump.

The vent 38 functions herein to leave the control sensitive for immediate and direct response. The selection of the spring 32 to operate in the assembly at 20 ft. lift for the second or rotary pump 3 in the series or this installation, means thatat once the water comes within such 20 ft. lift range for the pump 3, the spring 32 opens the valve 28. This establishes a normal or standard working condition for the pump 3 to operate efliciently. The vent 33 coacts thru the balanced valve so it may open for the pump 3 to commence operation is at the adopted liftrange, herein adopted as 20 it. With such problem worked out, there is reliableoperation on such schedule with the apparatus regardless of what may be the capacity for the pump, and accordingly with difierent developed pressures from such pumps. It is the purpose that the balanced valve and the vent feature, in the control unit hereof, achieve eiiicient pump operation with entire absence of need to adjust or alter the installation.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An impeller pump having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension for the intake including an ejector, a line from the discharge to operate the ejector, said discharge having a delivery duct, a reciprocable valve in said duct, a spring normally holding the close the'valve, a piston movable with the valve,

'mospheric pressure, a chamber for the\ spring, a

and a guide for the piston having, at closed position of the valve, communication with opposite sides of the valve. l

2. An impeller pump for liquid having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a

sup ly extension for the intake including an ejector pump or full response to the capacity of the impeller pump. a line from the discharge to operate the ejector, said discharge having a delivery duct, a valve in said duct, a spring normally holding the valve open to provide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge at atdiaphragm in the chamber, there being a port to the chamber for supplying atmospheric pressure to the side or the diaphragm opposing the spring, a connection from the intake to the chamber opposite side of the diaphragm from said port, adapted in the interval of pump starting, for suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve during the starting of the pump 'and responsive to pump discharge liquid fully to open the valve, a piston movable with the valve, and an open ended cylinder for the piston having one end thereof in communication with the intake side of the valve and the other end in communication with the discharge side of the valve.

3. An impeller pump having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extenadapted in the interval of pump starting for,

suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve.

4. An impeller pump having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension for the intake including an ejector, a line from the discharge to operate the ejector, said discharge having a delivery duct, a valve housing in said duct providing a pair of ports, a poppet valve in said housing operable to open and close one of said ports, a piston connected to the valve and maintaining the other port closed, a spring normally holding the valve open to pro, vide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge and maintained against disturbance at normal atmospheric pressure, a chamber provided with a diaphragm to oppose the spring, and a connection from the intake to the chamber, adapted in the interval of pump starting for suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve.

5. An impeller pump having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension for the intake including an ejector, a line from the discharge to operate the ejector, said discharge, having a delivery duct, a valve housing in said duct providing a pair of ports and a chamber, apoppet valve in said housing cooperating with one of said ports as a valve seat to open and close the same, a piston connected to the valve to move therewith but maintain the other port closed, a spring normally holding the valve open to provide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge and maintained against disturbance at normal atmospheric pressure, a .diaphragm in the chamber of the housing to oppose the spring, and a connection from the intake to chamber, adapted in the interval of pump starting for suction actuation of the diaphragm to close the valve.

6. An impeller pump for liquid having a discharge therefrom, a suction intake thereto, a supply extension for the intake including an ejector pump of full response to the capacity of the impeller pump, a duct from the discharge to operate the ejector, a delivery duct from the discharge, a valve in the delivery duct, a spring tending to hold the valve toward an open position to provide an unobstructed passage for the pump discharge, a diaphragm connected to act upon the valve in opposition to the spring, a chamber for the diaphragm, there being a port to the chamber for supplying atmospheric pressure to the side of the diaphragm opposing the spring, a connection from the intake to the'chamber opposite side of the diaphragm from said port adapted in the interval of pump starting for suction actuation of the diaphragm to locate the valve toward closing position during the starting of the pump and responsive to pump discharge liquid fully to open the valve, a cooperating piston and cylinder coaxial with the valve, one thereof having connection to the valve and being reciprocable therewith and having at closed position of the valve having passage means providing communication with opposite sides of the valve.

KENNETH R. LUNG. 

